Ulugbek Kokdirov pleads guilty on Friday, Feb. 10, 2012, in a Birmingham federal court to charges including supporting terrorism as part of a plot to kill President Barack Obama. (The Birmingham News file)

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- A 22-year old Uzbekistan national, who had been living in Shelby County on an expired student visa, pleaded guilty this afternoon to charges that include providing material support for terrorism in connection with a plot to kill President Barack Obama.

Ulugbek Kodirov, wearing an orange Shelby County Jail jumpsuit and shackled at his feet, pleaded guilty in a hearing before U.S. District Judge Abdul Kallon at the Hugo L. Black U.S. Courthouse in downtown Birmingham.

A prosecutor read from the agreement, telling the judge that Kodirov told others that he was in contact with a man called "the Emir" who Kodirov said was connected with the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan -- considered by the US as a terrorist group. Kodirov also told an individual that he was willing to die in order to kill the president.

He agreed to plead to two of five counts in a previous indictment -- making a threat to kill the president and a person illegally in the country being in possession of a firearm. He also agreed to plead guilty to proving material support for terrorism in a plan to try to kill the president.

Prosecutors have agreed to drop other charges in the indictment in exchange for the plea.

Kodirov could be sentenced up to 30 years in prison for the three charges, Kallon told him. Kodirov agrees to be deported after completing his sentence under the plea agreement. Sentencing is set for May 17.

Kodirov was charged with four counts of threatening the president - on July 9, July 10, July 11 and July 13 of last year. He
also was charged with being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm
and unlawfully possessing a fully automatic weapon. Both of those
weapons counts refer to a Sendra Corp. Model M15-A1 rifle which he
bought from undercover law enforcement agents before his arrest on July
13, according to court documents. He was also charged with receiving and
possessing an unregistered grenade on July 13. He had four grenades,
but the gunpowder was not in them, according to the U.S. Attorney's
Office.